Julius Malema is without a doubt a noticeable politician within and outside South Africa; though he is an opposition politician. The current political climate around Africa has been hot due to the visits around the continent by UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
South Africa was one of the several countries around the continent May made stops with the aim of strengthening British ties with African countries ahead of the Brexit. Malema did not see the visit by the UK Premier as a point of economic bargain for the African people. Instead he challenged African countries to focus towards decolonizing themselves.
Malema did not suggest any grand moves – at least not just yet – instead he urged African leaders to take small steps towards the grand goal of complete decolonization of the continent. He said this during a press briefing before the UK Premier jetted into South Africa. Malema reiterated that the policy of his Economic Freedom Fighters party (EFF) was focusing on withdrawing South Africa out of the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 countries with their former colonizer, the British Empire.
“The Commonwealth is presided over by the colonizer and we reject that. That type of respect that we give to the colonizer is the one that perpetuates white supremacy,” said Malema.
United States of Africa
Malema went ahead and shared his two-cent advice on what Africa should instead be focusing on, rather than the Commonwealth. For one, he wants the judicial wig – which he perceives as colonizer’s relics – be eliminated completely within our judicial system.
“It is through small things that we can achieve the total freedom of South Africa. Like that wig that judges wear… does it mean that you can only think when you wear the hair that resembles that of a white man?”
Dropping English and use Swahili as official language
Malema also had to bone to pick with the fact that virtually all Commonwealth countries use English as their official language. The countries also use a judicial system borrowed from the British system.
Malema thinks it is high time for Africans to adopt a common language, which will be used across the continent. He suggested using Swahili, which he believes has the potential of replacing English as the official language across Africa.
“We need a border-less continent. We need one currency, one parliament, and one president that can unite the continent. We need a United States of Africa. We need one Africa,” argued Malema.
